End of Year Wrap Up! Goodbye 2023!

We are at the end of another year. It turns and turns whether we want it to or not. I haven't done much stitching at all, but finishing up Summer Bouquet was a years long goal of mine. I have always loved that sampler and I am so happy I finished it! I'll take it in for finishing soon! I'm not that confident with pinning and framing linen, so I'll probably leave this one to someone else to do. I do hope to continue to work on stitching that I love this next year. It's just been tough lately. 

Here's a pitiful update on All Good Witches by Pineberry Lane. The lighting on these is awful, lol. Oh well. You get the jist!

I did lots of amigurumi projects this year and I was really happy with that! I need to keep using up all this yarn, so I'll be crocheting more this year too. I also started designing here and there again, but haven't officially released anything just yet. Maybe I'll get there soon.

Look at my second gorgeous embroidery from my amazing daughter in law! So beautiful! I'm in awe of her embroidery skills! I am so appreciative of her time and effort in making these things for me. Just awe inspiring.

Our Christmas was so wonderful. The kids came over in the morning and after an incredible opening of gifts in which they got us the most thoughtful and great things, we cooked a big breakfast and we all sat around and enjoyed it at our table. My father in law lives with us now and it was so nice for him to celebrate his second holiday here with us.

Thanksgiving was good. I got to see my nephews for the first time in 2 years. Dynamics change when people get divorced and that is what happened here. I sure miss seeing them, but they are busy boys now with lots to do and two households to do it in. One of them is graduating college soon and they've just grown up while the world was spinning and I have missed out on most of it! Seeing them, and being with my kiddos was the best thing about it. I could honestly do without Thanksgiving though. Not really my favorite holiday or event. Am I weirdo feeling like that? Anyone else who isn't fond of Thanksgiving please chime in, lol!

My sweet little boo boo had to have surgery this past Friday. She's doing OK, and recovering well. But this pup is 17.5 years old! She is s tough little Jack Russell and keeps on trucking. This past year has been tough on her with losing her eyesight and most of her hearing. She still loves to eat and has a good appetite. One of us usually always has to be home with her as she gets stuck in corners and her legs may splay out on the wood floor areas. Poor baby. Sweet little Jenny. She had this same surgery last year, when she was ONLY 16.5 years old, and it was a totally different game. She is just much more delicate this year.

She is officially the last pet we'll have. I just don't have it in me anymore. We've given 7 doggies, 2 kitties, quite a few fish, and two guinea pigs a good life. I'm done! 

Well, I'm tired from caretaking for a little doggie this weekend, and it's NYE, so I'm going to sign off. I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and new start to 2024! Take care of yourselves and one another. Be back soon!

Christmas Wrap Up, New Primitive Doll, Ornies, etc.

Well, fellow stitchers, crafters and humans - we are on the eve of a New Year, and I wish us all well!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. I had a better one than I deserve. My kids got me the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts, new Pandora charms, books. They got us a gorgeous book of photos from the wedding last year. So thoughtful and beautiful.

I was so thankful to get the embroidery/applique book by Maggie Bonanomi. It is filled with such gorgeous prim and homey designs. I also LOVE this needle felting book! Oh I really need to do the Corgi and the Jack Russel! Needle felting seems easy enough and I should tackle this one in 2023. 

Somehow, I buckled down and made myself another doll I'd been wanting to make. She turned out great! I can't say enough nice things about the designer of these cuties. Her gorgeous patterns can be found on Etsy at Liberty Creek Primitives. The patterns are adorable, and her instructions are fantastic. Very easy for a beginner too (if you have a basic understanding of sewing)! This little sweetie is called "Rejoice" in her store. I need to add a red stuffed heart or stocking for her to hold. Not sure which at this time!

I picked up my needle for a few minutes this week, but not even enough progress to show. However, I do want to show off my daughter in law's amazing skills here with some felt ornaments I was lucky enough to be gifted! She had a friend show her the basics, and she practiced and practiced and then downloaded some patterns and made these beautiful ornies for me. I could have cried! 

This is something else I've always wanted to learn to do. And now I have someone to show me everything about it! WOW. To say I was surprised is an understatement! I mean, she absolutely has amazing talent at so many things, but I never expected needlework! She is awesome. <3

I need to focus on my health and creativity this year again. I'm delving in next week and continuing the journey I started earlier this year. I have new challenges and things to overcome, but I'm looking forward to getting some of these things behind me and moving on. Lots to do.

Please don't put any undue burdens on yourself to do more, be more, etc. Just be. If you have a new goal, by all means, go for it. But I think a lot of times we set ourselves up for disappointment and feelings of inadequacy by trying to come up with too many goals, you know? 

We've had lots of things to deal with this year, including the loss of my mother in law. It's been a rough one in many ways. But also a good one in many ways. We carry all of this with us into 2023. My main goal is to handle whatever comes my way with patience, and as much grace as I can muster. Be calm, and carry on!

I hope you all have a creative and happy and healthy New Year! I will see you soon with more stitching stuff! Take care of one another and stay safe. 

Until next time,

Quick February Update!

Feb. 9th. I'm starting this year in more disarray than I ever remember. This ongoing pandemic. A very serious health issue for my husband's mom. My stitching mojo just up and disappearing. I did do some stitching on my most recent one, and hope to have it done soon. Things are just a bit discombobulated. I need some new routines I think, in order for me to get straightened out and back on the track I need to be on. Anyone else feeling similar? 

We rounded out the year with an AMAZING dinner at one of our favorite gourmet places. The food is incredible, service is amazing and the whole holiday vibe was just awesome. We had so much fun. The place is called Fahrenheit 132 in downtown Fredericksburg VA. I am STILL thinking about the meal I had!

I crocheted my son a cute little S'More for their growing collection of stuff I make that they probably don't want, lol. 

I'm sorry. I just cannot get over the faces, lol. So cute! We had a really horrid snowstorm the first week of January. Our major highway was shut down for over 24 hours and people were just stuck there with no way out for all that time. Power outages were everywhere and my mom came to stay with us for a week due to that fact. I loved having her here though! I got to wait on her and just visit at length. I can't remember the last time I spent that much time with her and I really enjoyed it! My son did too.

Next update will definitely include some stitching! There is just so much good stitching to be had, you know? I think that buying stitching supplies and patterns is a totally separate hobby from actually stitching. I'm really good at the first part! LOL.

Well, that's it for now. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year (and January!). Here's to starting some new habits, and bringing back some old ones that were good....

Until next time,

Well, it's a New Year.

Well, it is a New Year. I can't bring myself to add the "Happy" on to that. I just can't. Especially after yesterday. I will however, update on my progress on Fancy's Brooms. Here ya go. 

 My kiddos were so good to me over Christmas. Lots of thoughtful and lovely gifts. My favorite part of it however, was cooking up a simple breakfast with my family in the kitchen. It was good for my soul. I love 'em so much. I don't think they will ever know how much. 

That's it guys. I don't have it in me for more. I hope you all had a wonderful and lovely holiday season and I hope you are getting some stitchy time in. If not, make time. It's healing for sure.

See you soon with maybe a finish on this thing, lol. Until then, 

Christmas Catch Up and a Pitiful Pineberry Lane Christmastide update

Here's my SUPER SLOW update on Christmastide. This will be so pretty when it's done. I've switched up the colors already, to go with the gray fabric, and when I'm done, I will make note of those conversions for anyone who might be interested.

The actual fabric color seems to have a bit more blue to it, but I can't get it to read very well with a phone camera. I love my phone camera, but I think we lose something in the translation. I might experiment with going back to my old Nikon for a while.

My kiddos bought me some stash for Christmas! Actually it was my son's sweet girlfriend. She asked about my wish list and I sent it to her and received these lovlies.

Are you kidding me with this sunflower design??!!  My goodness. That is such a happy, warm, sunshiney design I can't stand it. It's just the cutest thing. And the hearts on the chimneys?! Love.

Anyone else have holiday burnout? I enjoyed it, but I'm feeling less friendly towards Christmas every year. So much pressure to buy, buy, buy. We were lucky enough to have the whole family come over for dinner and exchange gifts. It was really nice. I'm sure everyone went home and slept well! As nice as it was, there is something great about getting back to a regular routine, isn't there?

This is one of those gifts that was really meaningful. I ordered this for my mom. It's my grandmother's (her mom's) recipe for a Lady Goldenglow cake. It turned out better than I expected. Gotta love Etsy. I am going to get one for myself also at some point this year.

I made the Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake for Christmas dessert. It was gone in about 5 minutes. If you haven't tried it, make it this year. You will not be disappointed!

Three days after Christmas, we celebrated my husband's birthday. We went out to our local restaurant with my in-laws and the kiddos and had a nice dinner. The kids bought him a gourmet Oreo cake, for which I was very thankful. They really are sweet and thoughtful.

Overall, good holiday season, but glad to be back to "normal", whatever that is!

I hope everyone gets off to a good start and you crush all your goals, crafty ones and otherwise!

Back soon with a hopefully less pitiful update on my Pineberry Lane wip!  Until then,

Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year! Grant that I May bring

no tear to any eye When this 

New Year in time shall end Let it be 

said I've played the friend, Have

lived and loved and labored here,

And made of it a happy year.

  

--Edgar Guest--

See you next year! Until then,

New Year, New Start, and Finishes!

Happy New Year! WOW, 2019, eh? Hmmm. I don't know if I'm ready, but it doesn't matter. It's here for the long haul.

My mother in law wound up having surgery New Year's Eve, and it went well. Hopefully, no more issues for them this year, and good health all around.

I have a finish! I finished The Giving Sisters, by Notforgotten Farm.

This was a very fun, but intense, stitch for me. I had suffered through many starts over two years so this was a big accomplishment. I thought they came out fantastic and while I may have misplaced a few stitches in the cauldron bubbles, I didn't stress over it. And I did all those single stitches as pin stitches, so no carryovers. Yay!

I have a new start too. I downloaded Goodflora Stitchwort's "Oh, the Miles!" It is the cutest thing! I'm going to change the doggy to reflect my own sweet Jenny (a little Jack Russell). This fabric is not pink, by the way. The lighting is WAY off here. It's a pale brownish.

I also got a serious case of crochet bug the past week. I saw a hat on Ravelry I just had to make. Now, it IS a baby hat, and NO, there is no baby to give it to, but I HAD to make this thing.  Just look!

Oh my goodness. This is one of the cutest things I've ever made in my life. I cannot take the sweetness! It is a quick stitch and I learned some new skills making it. The designer was so helpful and I mean seriously, just look at that!!!! I have it on my desk and can't stop looking at it and squeezing it, lol.

You may remember me raving over the Country Au Point De Croix book by Helen Wind. Well, for Christmas, my mom ordered me the other book, ABC Country by the same designer. The multitude of cute, primitive designs in these books is overwhelming! So many I want to stitch! Thanks Mom!

Our neighborhood was so gorgeous and festive in December. Christmas Eve I was not having a good day (I ate dinner at McDonald's for goodness sake), but I took myself for a drive around the village and seeing everyone's lights really lifted my spirits. I feel so lucky to be here.

Christmas Day wasn't complete without my in-laws here, but we had a dinner and a house full of guests and it was good. I can't say I'm sorry it's over thought, you know what I mean? I'm just so over all the commercial aspects and pressure buying that goes on.  I'd rather bake, take walks, learn something new, visit friends. All the money and buying---make it stop, please.

I'm going to leave with one more photo and link. I made a chicken and dumplings meal last night, and would love to share. It was so wonderful and easy.  Find the recipe HERE:

 It would be great on a snowy cold evening like we had last night. My husband made the actual dumplings while I was stirring and adding things to the pot and he did a great job!

Enjoy your week, and do some wintery things--go for a walk in the cold, light a favorite candle, take a hot bath, enjoy some tea, read on the sofa with cuddly blankets, or make a new comfort food recipe!